Pocket umbrella with three-sectional stick

ABSTRACT

A multisectional umbrella frame having a stick section with a handle and having an intermediate stick section with a window located at the lower end of said intermediate stick section when the umbrella frame is in its unfolded position of use, in which that stick section which has the handle connected thereto is provided with guiding means, e.g. in the form of a longitudinal groove, arranged below said window while in use position of said stick between the lower edge of said window and the lower edge of the intermediate frame stick there is provided a guiding member for cooperation with said guiding means, said frame also comprising a runner having pivotally connected thereto a pawl the locking section of which has a first edge surface which in said window engaging position engages that window edge surface which faces away from said handle in such a way that the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said pawl is substantially perpendicular to said window edge surface, said pawl having a second edge surface opposite said first edge surface and being so inclined that the extensions of said first and second edge surfaces in the direction away from said stick define an acute angle, said pawl having a third edge surface interconnecting said first and second edge surfaces and forming with said first edge surface an obtuse angle and with said second edge surface an acute angle.

United States Patent Granrath Feb. 22, 197 2 [54] POCKET UMBRELLA WITH THREE- Primary Examiner-J. Karl Bell SECTIONAL STICK Attorney-Walter Becker [72] Inventor: G ij l lt rGranrath, Solingen, Germany v 57 ABSTRACT Assignefii Kiimnbach R qmm A multisectional umbrella frame having a stick section with a E g y 'r Germany handle and having an intermediate stick section with a window located at the lower end of said intermediate stick section [22] Filed Sept 1969 when the umbrella frame is in its unfolded position of use, in [21] Appl. No.: 856,973 which that stick section which has the handle connected thereto is provided with guiding means, e.g. in the form of a longitudinal groove, arranged below said window while in use [30] Foreign Appncafion Prion, Dam position of said stick between the lower edge of said window Jan. 11, 1969 Germany ..G 69 00 937 and the lower edge of the intermediate frame stick there is provided a guiding member for cooperation with said guiding s2 U.S.Cl ..13s/2s, 135/28 means, said frame also eemprisinsa runner hevingpivetelly [51] lm. Cl A453, 04 45 25/08 connected thereto a pawl the locking sectionof which has a [58] Field of Search ..135/25, 26,28 first edge Surface whleh m Wmdow engasmg Posltlon gages that window edge surface which faces away from said [56] References Cited handle in such a way that the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said pawl is substantially perpendicular to said window edge FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS surface, said pawl having a second edge surface opposite said first edge surface and being so inclined that the extensions of 1,169,090 4/1964 Germany ..l35/26 said first and Second edge surfaces in the direction away from 813,195 5/1959 Great f f 135/26 said stick define an acute angle, said pawl having a third edge 1,116,329 6/1968 Great Britain ....135/2 surface interconnecting said first and second edge surfaces 902,567 9/1945 France ....l35/26 and f i with Said fi t edge Surface an obtuse angle and with said second edge surface an acute angle.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEBZZ m2 SHEET 3 OF 3 INVENTOR.

iv/Dr BY I . l POCKET UMBRELLA WITH TI'IREE-SECTIONAL STICK The present invention relates to a pocket umbrella with a three-sectional stick in which-the stick sections are secured against rotation relative to each other by at least one longitudinal groove. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pocket umbrella of this type which is provided with a slide or runner having a spring-urged pawl guided in-the longitudinal groove of the lower stick section. The pawl is adapted to arrest the slide or runner in the position in which the roof stays are spread whereas when the umbrella is in closed but extended position, the pawl prevents the runner from moving in the. direction toward the umbrella crown. The invention furthermore concerns a pocket umbrella of the above mentioned type which is provided with a sleeve-shaped knob into which the neck. of the runner which comprises the pawl is adapted to be inserted when the umbrella is in completely closed condition.

Pocket umbrellas of the above-mentioned type are known. They have a recess in the upper stick section into which the pawl of the runner will drop when the roof stays are spread so that the umbrella roof will be held in its tensioned condition. When the umbrella with spread out roof stays is in closed condition, the same pawl drops into a notch or the like at the central stick section which prevents the slide from moving toward the umbrella crown. Such movement would take place when the umbrella would be carried in closed but extended condition with the umbrella crown hanging downwardly as is the case, for instance, when the umbrella is still wet after a rain.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an arresting mechanism, which is relatively inexpensive to produce and will function in a reliable manner, for the pawl of the runner of an umbrella not only when the umbrella is open but also when the umbrella is closed while the roof stays are in extended position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an arresting mechanism as set forth in the preceding paragraph, which will have a minimum of individual elements and in which the number of the working steps for producing the elements and for the assembly will be considerably reduced over heretofore known arrangements of the type involved.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a pocket umbrella with a three-sectional stick according to the invention in opened condition.

FIG. 2 illustrates the pocket umbrella of FIG. 1 with pulled out and nearly closed roof stays.

FIG. 3 is a view partially in section of the slide or runner located in the lower locking position according to FIG. 2 and also shows the adjacent stick sections and the knob on a larger scale than that'of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a view and partial section similar to that of FIG. 3 but rotated relative thereto by 90.

FIG. 5 illustrates a longitudinal section through the upper runner lock on an enlarged scale.

FIG; 6 illustrates a longitudinal section through the lower runner lock on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 7 shows the design of the pawl, likewise on an enlarged scale.

The umbrella according to the present invention is charac-.

terized primarily in that the lower end of the central stick section has a window cut therein which is located above a longitudinal groove in the lower stick section while between the lower edge of the window and the lower end of the central stick section there is provided a guiding groove within the longitudinal groove of the lower stick section. The umbrella according to the invention is furthermore characterized in that a pawl has its lower end provided with a surface which when the pawl has dropped into the recess in the upper stick section extends approximately at a right angle to the lower edge of the recess, said pawl having a barbed hooklike abutment surface which when the pawl has dropped into the window of the central stick section extends at an acute angle with regard to the upper edge of the window. The umbrella according to the invention is additionally characterized in that the first-mentioned surface of the pawl and the abutment surface of the pawl are interconnected by an inclined surface the inclination of which when engaging the lower edge of the window makes it possible that the pawl automatically leaves the window in the direction toward the knob.

While the surface at the lower end of the pawl brings about a safe locking of the runner when the umbrella is in opened condition inasmuch as the said surface extends at a right angle to the lower edge of the recess-in the upper stick section, the inclined surface of the pawl permits the latter to leave the window in the central stick section when the runner moves in the direction toward the knob. This movement will always occur when the umbrella is to be folded from its closed condition with the roof stays in extended condition. Inasmuch as the window in the central stick section prevents a complete entrance of the pawl because the longitudinal groove of the lower stick section extends below the window, it will be appreciated that in this position the surface at the end of the pawl will not engage the lower edge of the window but instead the above mentioned inclined surface will engage the lower edge of the window. The abutment surface of the pawl which surface follows the end of the inclined surface extends at an acute angle with regard to the longitudinal umbrella axis so that this abutment surface will in the manner of a barbed hook prevent the pawl from leaving the window in the direction toward the umbrella crown even though the pawl has entered the interior of the stick only partially by engaging the longitudinal groove of the lower stick section.

In order to prevent any accidental pulling out of the lower stick section from the central or intermediate stick section. ac cording to a further feature of the invention it is suggested to provide in the longitudinal groove of the lower stick section an abutment head or the like for abutment against the lower edge of the window. In this way, the window will serve not only as lock for the runner pawl but will simultaneously, in view of the cooperation with the abutment head, also serve as abutment element for the stick sections which are adapted to be pulled out to a limited extent.

According to a further feature of the invention, it is suggested to equip the umbrella handle with a holding ring surrounding the end of the lower stick section. The said holding ring extends into the annular opening of the handle which opening receives the runner neck. The holding ring is provided with an inclined surface for cooperation with the inclined surface of the pawl. In this way it will be possible to slide the runner deeply into the knob or handle, and an automatic pivoting of the pawl key is obtained which outside the sleevelike handle protrudes from the runner neck.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the umbrella shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a three-sectional stick I having an upper stick section Ia, an intermediate or central stick section lb, and a lower stick section lc. Connected to the lower stick section 1c is a sleevelike knob 2 as is shown in particular in FIG. 3.

The upper stick section Ia supports an umbrella crown 3 having linked thereto the two-sectional roof stays 4. The two portions of the roof stays .4 are interconnected by connecting hinges 5 having linked thereto a strut 6 which latter has its inner end pivotally connected to a runner 7. Between the runner 7 and the umbrella crown 3 there is provided an auxiliary runner 8 on the stick section I, said auxiliary runner 8 being connected to the strut 6 through the intervention of auxiliary struts 9.

A pawl 10 is journaled in the neck section 7a of the runner 7 on a pin 12 in such a way that the hook-shaped end is pressed by a pressure spring 11 against the stick I. This pawl 10 the structure of which is particularly clearly shown in FIG. 7, arrests the runner 7 when the umbrella is opened, is shown in FIGS. I and 5, until the pawl drops to engage a recess I6 in the upper stick section 1a. In this position, a surface at the lower end of the pawl 10 extends at a right angle to the lower edge of the recess 16 so that the pressure exerted from above in the direction toward the handle 2 upon the runner 7 will be safely absorbed by the surface a of pawl 10 without the danger that the pawl 10 will leave the recess 16 in the upper stick section la.

The lower locking means of the runner 7 is formed by a window 13 which in the central stick section lb is provided in the vicinity of the lower end of said stick section. The cutout of this window 13 is located precisely above a longitudinal groove 14 provided in the lower stick section 1c. This groove 14 will prevent a rotation of the lower stick section 1c relative to the central stick section 1b inasmuch as a guiding groove at the intermediate stick section lb is guided in the longitudinal groove 14. This guiding groove 15 is between the lower end of the intermediate stick section lb and the window 13 designed at the intermediate stick section as is particularly clearly shown in FIG. 4.

As will be evident from FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 6, in the lower locking position of the runner 7, the pawl 10 has dropped into the window 13 while, however, in the longitudinal groove 14 of the lower stick section 1c it is engaged by said pawl 10 so that it cannot enter deeply into the interior of the stick 1 as has been the case in the upper locking position with regard to the recess 16. inasmuch as in the lower locking position, the movement of the runner 7 in the direction toward the umbrella crown 3 is to be prevented, the pawl 10 is equipped with a barbed hook-shaped abutment surface 10b which with the pawl 10 dropped into the window 13 in the central stick section 1b will extend .at an acute angle to the upper margin or rim of the window 13. This position is illustrated in FIG. 3 and on an enlarged scale also in FIG. 6. In thisposition, an accidental unfolding of the roof stays 4 will be prevented when the umbrella crown 3 hangs downwardly.

Inasmuch as when folding together the pocket umbrella, the lower stick section 1c is moved into the central stick section 1b, and since furthermore for obtaining an as great a reduction in the length of the umbrella as possible, the neck section 7a of the runner 7 is moved into an annular receiving chamber 19 of the handle 2 provided with a handle sleeve 2a, it is necessary when reducing the length of the umbrella, that the pawl 10 is able automatically to move out of the window 13. To this end, between the surface 10a at the end of the pawl 10 and the barbed hooklike abutment surface 10b there is provided an inclined surface 10c the inclination of which is such that when impinging upon the lower margin of the window 13 during the reduction of the length of the umbrella, the pawl portion locked in the stick will be tilted out.

The arrangement of the window 13 in the central stick section lb is at the same time also taken advantage of for preventing an accidental pulling apart of the stick sections lb and 10. To this end, the longitudinal groove 14 of the lower stick section IC has an abutment bead or the like 17 which, when pulling out the lower stick section lc from the intermediate stick section lb, will engage the lower margin of the window 13 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. The presence of this abutment bead 17 furthermore aids the pawl in its leaving the window 13 when the umbrella stick is to be reduced in length or when the runner 7 is to be moved out of the window 13 in the direction toward the handle 2. in order to obtain a highly satisfactory and safe locking of the pawl 10, the window 13 may in the direction toward the umbrella crown 3 be reduced in diameter in a funnel-shaped manner as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

In order to make it possible to move the runner 7 into the receiving chamber 19 of the handle 2 as far as possible and thus to obtain an automatic pivoting of the pressure key for the pawl 10 during the insertion, the handle or knob is provided with a surface 20 for the inclined surface 100 of the pawl 10. This inclined surface 20 is designed on a holding ring 2b which holding ring extends from the bottom of the handle 2 into the receiving chamber 9. The holding ring 2b not only increases the length of the cylindrical bore for receiving the lower stick section It but also reinforces the bottom of the. handle 2 to which by means of a transverse pin 18 it is connected to the lowerv stick section 1c. When the neck section 7a of the runner 7 is moved into the handle sleeve 2a, the abutting surface 10c of the pawl 10 hits upon the inclined surface 26 of the holding ring 2b, whereby the pawl 10 is pivoted in its parallel position with regard to the lower stick section 10.

As will be evident from the above, the improvements set forth above result in a pocket umbrella which will have a minimum of individual elements and which with a minimum of working and assembly operations will bring about a safe arresting of the runner when the umbrella is opened and also when the umbrella is closed while the roof stays are in a pulled out condition. The suggestions according to the present invention in this connection will prevent a pulling out of the lower stick section and permit a deep entering of the runner into the sleevelike handle or knob.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What i claim is:

l. A collapsible umbrella frame which includes: a three-sectional umbrella stick with a crown at one end and a hullshaped handle at the other end; said sectional stick comprising a first section having first window means and being provided with said crown, a second section provided with said handle and having a longitudinal groove in said second section, and

also an intermediate section interconnecting said first and second sections; each of said sections being provided with means including said groove of said second section for preventing said three sections from rotating relative to each other; that end portion of said intermediate section which in pulled-out condition of the umbrella stick is adjacent said second section being provided with second window means arranged in substantial alignment with and above said longitudinal groove of said second section; said intermediate section being provided with additional groove means extending from that edge of said second window means in said intermediate section which is closest to said handle in the direction toward said handle for guiding arrangement complementary with said longitudinal groove of said second section; runner means slidably mounted on said sectional umbrella stick and including pivotallysupported pawl means arranged in alignment with said first and second window means and having an arrest-' ing portion for selective engagement with said first and second window means; said runner means also including a neck which telescopes into said hull-shaped handle in fully closed condition of the umbrella, spring means continuously urging said arresting portion always toward the longitudinal axis of said umbrella stick; said arresting portion having a first surface facing in the direction toward said handle and being operable so to engage that edge surface of said first window means which in pulled-out position of said umbrella stick during spread open umbrella position faces away from said handle so that the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said pawl means is substantially perpendicular to said edge surface; said arresting portion also having a barb-shaped engaging surface located opposite to said first surface and having its extension in the direction away from said umbrella stick form an acute angle with the extension of said first surface in the direction away from said stick; said arresting portion also having an additional incline surface at an inclination interconnecting said first surface and said engaging surface while forming with the latter an acute angle and:

forming with said first surface an obtuse angle, inclination of said additional surface upon engagement with the end of said window in said intermediate section making possible self release of said pawl means out of abutting relationship with the edge surface of said second window means in the direction toward said handle, said end of said arresting portion in said second window means engaging the bottom of said groove in said second section to limit movement of said portion into said window and to maintain said incline surface in alignment with said edge of said window.

toward said crown.

4. An umbrella frame in combination according to claim 1, in which said hull-shaped handle comprises a sleeve portion adapted to receive at least a portion of said runner means in collapsed condition of said frame, and also comprises a holding ring cam portion extending into said sleeve portion for engaging said incline surface of said arresting portion and pivoting the same in a direction away from the axis of said stick. 

1. A collapsible umbrella frame which includes: a threesectional umbrella stick with a crown at one end and a hullshaped handle at the other end; said sectional stick comprising a first section having first window means and being provided with said crown, a second section provided with said handle and having a longitudinal groove in said second section, and also an intermediate section interconnecting said first and second sections; each of said sections being provided with means including said groove of said second section for preventing said three sections from rotating relative to each other; that end portion of said intermediate section which in pulled-out condition of the umbrella stick is adjacent said second section being provided with second window means arranged in substantial alignment with and above said longitudinal groove of said second section; said intermediate section being provided with additional groove means extending from that edge of said second window means in said intermediate section which is closest to said handle in the direction toward said handle for guiding arrangement complementary with said longitudinal groove of said second section; runner means slidably mounted on said sectional umbrella stick and including pivotally supported pawl means arranged in alignment with said first and second window means and having an arresting portion for selective engagement with said first and second window means; said runner means also including a neck which telescopes into said hull-shaped handle in fully closed condition of the umbrella, spring means continuously urging said arresting portion always toward the longitudinal axis of said umbrella stick; said arresting portion having a first surface facing in the direction toward said handle and being operable so to engage that edge surface of said first window means which in pulled-out position of said umbrella stick during spread open umbrella position faces away from said handle so that the longitudinal plane of symmetry of said pawl means is substantially perpendicular to said edge surface; said arresting portion also having a barb-shaped engaging surface located opposite to said first surface and having its extension in the direction away from said umbrella stick form an acute angle with the extension of said first surface in the direction away from said stick; said arresting portion also having an additional incline surface at an inclination interconnecting said first surface and said engaging surface while forming with the latter an acute angle and forming with said first surface an obtuse angle, inclination of said additional surface upon engagement with the end of said window in said intermediate section making possible self release of said pawl means out of abutting relationship with the edge surface of said second window means in the direction toward said handle, said end of said arresting portion in said second window means engaging the bottom of said groove in said second section to limit movement of said portion into said window and to maintain said incline surface in alignment with said edge of said window.
 2. An umbrella frame according to claim 1, in which that portion of said second stick section which in pulled-out condition of said umbrella frame is adjacent said second window means is provided with abutment means for engagement with said additional groove means of said intermediate section in the pulled-out condition of said umbrella frame stick.
 3. An umbrella frame according to claim 1, in which said second window means of said intermediate section in the manner of a funnel progressively narrows in the direction toward said crown.
 4. An umbrella frame in combination according to claim 1, in which said hull-shaped handle comprises a sleeve portion adapted to receive at least a portion of said runner means in collapsed condition of said frame, and also comprises a holding ring cam portion extending into said sleeve portion for engaging said incLine surface of said arresting portion and pivoting the same in a direction away from the axis of said stick. 